Miracle Minded Manager: An Excerpt

Hello everyone! My name is Samantha and I have a new book to share with you all today. Here at Holistic Healing News we are big fans of A Course in Miracles. This book, Miracle Minded Manager, is an interesting take on how to apply that course to your business written by John J. Murphy. Today we have an excerpt to share, from Part 4: There Is Nothing To Fear called “Misery Loves Company… and So Does Joy.” Enjoy!

Back at the office, I begin my day by examining the massive to-do
list on my desk. Call me old-fashioned, but I still like to write down
what I need to do each day, like a checklist. I feel good then when I

can check things off the list. Plus, it helps me set goals and estab-
lish priorities. The only problem is that there always seems to be

an overwhelming amount of action items on the list for the very
limited amount of time I have.
I lean back in my chair. Maybe I should learn to delegate more.
Jordan teased me about there being only twenty-four hours in a
day, and it’s been that way for a long time. Maybe time isn’t the
issue. Maybe I don’t have my priorities straight. After all, there
always seems to be time to do what I consider most important.
As I sit reflecting on my to-do list, I realize my mind isn’t
focusing on the present moment. Instead of being in the here and

now, my mind is constantly thinking about things I must do in the
future or things that have happened in the past. Nicole said this is
where a lot of stress and unhealthy feelings come from. And each
of these feelings carries an energetic frequency that draws more of
that same frequency into my life. We reap what we sow, beginning
with the vibrations we put out.
When I think about things in the future and what might go
wrong, it brings on fear and stress and anxiety, which attract more

fear and stress and anxiety. In other words, I’m subconsciously ask-
ing for things I don’t want. And when I think about things that

upset me in the past, it triggers feelings of guilt and grief and
anger, which attract more guilt and grief and anger.

Nicole suggested that the key to inner peace begins with mind-
fully being present. She said it’s how we feel in the eternal now

that calls like vibrations into our lives. So, if I can sit quietly and
feel good about things, I will attract more good things into my life.
She said that appreciation and gratitude calibrate as very positive
energies, and this is one of the quickest ways to transcend the ego
thought-system. Simply be grateful. The ego doesn’t understand

these frequencies. It is bound by a “never enough” and “more is bet-
ter” attitude. To the ego, the grass is always greener somewhere else.

Jordan confirmed that this is very consistent with the teach-
ings of ACIM. By learning to take responsibility for what we think,

including our assumptions, we are controlling our vibrational fre-
quency. We are influencing the very universe that we live in. We are

cocreating with God. Nicole even mentioned a software that mea-
sures the vibration we are sending. It’s called the EM Wave from a

place called the HeartMath Institute. Judy took careful notes on
this. Apparently, you load the software on your computer and then
you attach a clip to your ear. The clip has a sensor that measures
what HeartMath calls heart coherence. Nicole said she would give

us a demo sometime if we want. I have to say I’m quite curious. The
HeartMath Institute also teaches a meditation practice called the

Quick Coherence Technique, which helps us raise our heart coher-
ence—which we can then measure. By using this technique and

raising our heart coherence, we are calling more good things into
our lives. So, it isn’t just misery that loves company. Joy does too!
Again, I stop myself. Here I am, not being present. My mind is
jumping from my huge to-do list to my recent dinner with Jordan
and Nicole and now to the HeartMath Institute. It’s this kind of
jumping around that can really affect my heart coherence. I can
only imagine what Nicole was feeling when she met the recipient of
her son’s heart. What a mind-blowing experience. That must have
sent her heart coherence through the roof. And here I go again—
jumping around. Stay present, Jack. Nicole said the key to raising

my vibration to a more positive frequency is to be mindful of posi-
tive feelings right now—like gratitude and breathing. Every breath

is a blessing. It’s a gift. After all, we can’t go long without breathing.
Nicole also said that most people don’t breathe deeply enough,
even when we’re not stressed. To raise our heart coherence and put
out a more positive vibe, we need to slow down and breathe deeply.
She suggested taking six to eight breaths per minute or one full
breath every eight to ten seconds—four or five seconds in and four
or five seconds out.

I sit at my desk and try it. I let go of my to-do list and the mul-
titude of things on my mind, and I simply relax and calm myself

by focusing on my breathing. While doing this, I close my eyes, I
place my hand on my heart, and I reflect on the many things I am
thankful for, right here and right now.
A few minutes later, there is a tap on my door, and my assistant,
Emily, peeks in. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Jack, but Joe Mulligan is
here to see you.”

I signal her to let him in. “Thanks, Emily.”
She steps out of the way. Oh, Lord, what does Joe want this time?
I realize that this is another negative projection from my mind that
has an energetic frequency to it. Maybe I’ll try something different
with Joe today. If I’m going to assume anything about the future,
why not make it positive?
“Hi, Jack,” Joe says enthusiastically, walking into my office.
“This will only take a minute, and I thought it would be better to
talk face-to-face rather than email you.”
That’s a positive change. My eyebrows rise.
He continues. “MJ and I have pulled together a team to run a
kaizen event on our customer service challenges. The week of the

event is October 15th through the 19th. We recruited some very tal-
ented players, and they are super excited about it. What I need to

know from you is can you attend our daily briefings that week, and

is there any room to bring in a skilled facilitator? Maybe that consul-
tant you used at your former division? The team could probably use

some training and guidance since this is their first real kaizen event.”

I sit slightly dumbfounded, leaning back in my chair and star-
ing at him. First, Joe has always seemed threatened by the work we

did with Jordan at my former division. In fact, every time I men-
tion Jordan, he starts building up excuses and defenses. Second,

Joe has always been very secretive about what he’s doing. He has
never wanted my involvement or participation.
“You want me to attend the briefings?” I ask, now leaning
forward.
“Yes, I do. The scope of this kaizen is big, crossing several
departments. We intend to challenge everything: policy, structure,
product design, process design, measurement systems, you name
it. We may even bring in a customer or two for immediate feedback.
Your attention, presence, and support will mean a lot to the team.”

I laugh. Is this a miracle? What has gotten into this man? He’s
acting like a kid on the playground, open-minded and playful. My
mind races to Kathleen with her school paper. There has been a
shift here, a correction of misperception. This is how ACIM defines
a miracle.
“You will definitely have my attention, presence, and support,
Joe,” I reply, standing up and shaking his hand. “You already do.”
“Thanks, Jack,” he says, gripping my hand a bit too long. “We’re
going to knock this one out of the park.”
He finally releases my hand and turns for the door. I stop him.
“Joe, can I ask how this came about so quickly? Honestly, I’m a bit
surprised.”
He spins around and looks right at me. “Jack, I know we’ve had
our differences, but I took to heart what you said to me the other
day. And those phone calls we listened to really got my attention. In
fact, it was embarrassing. So, I went back and took another look at
our NPS numbers and commentary, along with our costs. I also did
some benchmarking. And I don’t know. A light just seemed to come
on. I think I get where you’re coming from now. We need more than
improvement. We need innovation. And we need it now!”

If you enjoyed this, please let us know and subscribe to our newsletter! Miracle Minded Manager will be coming in October 2019. Thanks for reading!